Livestock feeder



Dec. 19, 1961 s. PARKER ETAL LIVESTOCK FEEDER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14. 1958 .i ll IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII In m m r EN,M o A WWW v L WE n Mm M 5K w Dec. 19, 1961 s, PARKER ETAL 3,013,529

LIVESTOCK FEEDER Filed Nov. 14. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

Shirley 1.. Parker Karl E. Parker INVENTORS Dec. 19, 1961 3,013,529

S. L. PARKER ET AL LIVESTOCK FEEDER Filed Nov. 14. 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Shirley L. Parker Karl E. Parker INVENTORS Media BY MM 3,013,529 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 Shirley This invention comprises a novel and useful livestock feeder and more particularly relates to an apparatus for more efiiciently feeding hogs and other stock.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a stock feeding apparatus having a plurality of feeding compartments for hogs and the like and having provision for the positive supply of feed to all of the compartments.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the foregoing object which shall provide in the apparatus an ample reserve of feed for the feeding compartments.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the preceding objects wherein the means for supplying feed shall distribute the feed along the length of the reserve compartment in a uniform manner whereby to uniformly supply the individual feeding compartments therefrom.

Still another object 'of the invention is to provide an apparatus in accordance with the objects set forth hereinbefore which will enable the simultaneous regulation of the quantities of feed supplied from a reserve compartment to the individual feeding compartments along one side of the apparatus.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a stock feeding apparatus which will eflect separate regulation of the feed from a single reserve compartment to a plurality of feeding compartments on opposite sides of the apparatus.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a feeding device which shall have an exceedingly stable construction without danger of being overturned by the stock during use of the apparatus.

additional object or" the invention is to provide a compartmental feeding apparatus wherein there are provided individual covers for the individual feeding compartments thereof.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a feeding apparatus which may be economically formed of relatively inexpensive sheet metal construction, shall have a glass lined bottom to increase the expected life of the device, and shall be extremely weatherproof.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a feeding apparatus having a plurality of compartments each with individual covers therefor together with an improved hinge construction for these covers.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in top plan of a preferred embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the principles of this invention, parts being broken away and certain concealed parts being shown in dotted lines therein:

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational of the apparatus of FlGURE 1, parts being broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus of FIGURES 1 and 2, parts being broken away and showing in particular the power operated means for supplying feed to the reserve compartment of the apparatus;

FEGURE 4 is a view in vertical transverse section, taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3 and showing the general ar- 2 rangernent of the power operated feed means and its association with the reserve compartment and the feeding compartments of the apparatus;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIGURE 3, and showing in dotted lines the position of the feed compartment covers when open;

FIGURE 6 is a detail view in central longitudinal section, taken on an enlarged scale substantially upon the planes indicated by the broken section line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a detail view in perspective showing the hinge construction of the feed compartment doors; and

FIGURE 8 is a detail view in vertical transverse section, taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 88 of FIGURE 3.

The stock feeder illustrating by way of example the principles of this invention in the accompanying drawings consists of a bottom pan or tray indicated generally at 10 and which as shown best in FIGURE 5 preferably comprises a single sheet of galvanized iron or other sirnilar material, the same having a bottom wall 12 which is secured to a pair of supports such as the skids 14 by means of fastening screws 16. Extending medially along its length the bottom wall is provided with an upwardly extending V-shaped projection consisting of the inclined upwardly converging flanges 18. Although the entire pan 10 may in some instances be formed of a single sheet of material folded to provide these upturned flanges 18, it is preferred in some instances and as illustrated in FIGURE 5, the bottom is formed in two halves, with the upper ends of the inclined flanges 18 being joined as by an angle strip 20 comprising a cap extending across the top of and secured to these inclined flanges.

As is shown in the detail view of FIG. 6, a pair of metal reinforcing or protective strips 22 may be secured to the underside of the end portions of the skids 14 to improve the resistance to wear of the skids and provide handles.

The two ends of the tray-like bottom portion 10 are closed by a pair of end walls each designated by the numeral 24, and which have inturned flanges 26 at their lower ends by which they are secured to the bottom 12 through the use of fasteners 28. It will be observed from FIGURE 5 that the bottom 12 is provided with longitudinal extending upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls 30, which at their outer ends are likewise received in and are secured to corresponding inturned flanges 32 of the end walls 24, as shown best in FIGURE 3.

At their upper edges, the outwardly divergent side walls 3% have inturned longitudinal flanges 34 for a purpose to be subsequently apparent.

Referring now again to FIGURE 5 it will be observed that the end walls 24 are provided with inclined angle members 40, secured thereby as by fastening screws 42 and in turn are secured to the tilted walls 18 by other fasteners 44 to thereby rigidly secure the tilted Wall portions 18 to the end walls of the apparatus.

Secured to the flanges 34 of the side walls 30 as by fasteners 46 are a pair of upwardly inclined supporting frames 48 having disposed therealong in side-by-side relation a series of openings which thus define with the base member iii a longitudinal series of feeding compartments on each side of the device, there-being provided a hinged cover '50 for each such compartment.

At their upper ends, the two frames 48 are spaced from each other along opposite sides of the longitudinal vertical central plane of the device and there are secured .a pair of parallel vertical plates 42 each secured to the inside surface of one of the frames 48 at one end of the feeder device. At their ends these plates have perpendicularly disposed inturned vertical flanges 54.

A pair of angle members each designated generally by the numeral 56 comprise eaves which support the gabled roof structure indicated generally at 58.

Each cave 56 has a vertical flange 6i) interposed between the frame 48 and the plates 52 and secured thereto by suitable fasteners. The eaves further include a horizontal flange 62 which at its outer end is provided with a downturned flange 64. The roof 53 comprises a single sheet of material preferably bent at its mid-portion to provide a ridge 66, and having inclined sides as at 63, which rest upon and are secured to the flanges 64. Suitable fasteners such as indicated at 70 serve to join the end of tl e roof to the flange 64 and thus rigidly secure the roof to the eaves of the device.

At the opposite end of the feeder device, the previously mentioned end flanges 54 with the plates 52 are provided with complementary arcuate notches or cut-away portions as at 72 which receive therein and support a cylindrical feed housing 74, see FIGURE 3. This housing is open at both of its ends, one end projecting through the notches 72 of the flanges 54 and considerably beyond the end of the device, as shown in FIGURE 1 and into a suitable hopper 76 of any desired character so that feed deposited in this hopper may be fed by a conveyor screw 78 formed upon a shaft 80 and thus caused to travel longitudinally of the feed housing.

As will be particularly noted from FIGURE 3, there are provided a series of slots $2 in the bottom of the feed housing 74 extending longitudinally of the same in order that feed moved by the conveyor screw may be discharged through these slots into a reserve chamber for feed which extends the length of the tray and lies between the plates 52 previously mentioned. Thus, upon operation of the conveyor screw by a means to be subsequently set forth, the feed will be removed from the hopper 7 6 along the feed housing 74, being discharged at tie successive slots 82 into the reserve compartment disposed between the plates 52 and above the inclined wall portions 18 of the base, the slots thus causing the feed to be successively delivered and substantially uniformly supplied to various longitudinally spaced regions in the reserve compartment which will correspond to the individual feed compartments disposed beneath the removal covers 5%.

Reference is now made especially to FIGURES 3 and 4 for a description of the mechanism for operating the conveying screw 78 by power means. At one end of the apparatus there is secured a motor supporting mount or platform indicated generally at 84. The latter preferably comprises an upper platform 86 resting upon the nidge 66 of the roof and which is provided with a pair of support legs 88 each having a series of vertically spaced apertures 90 therein for reception of a bolt and wing nut 92. The fasteners 92 are carried by the end wall 24 and thus provide a means whereby the platform 84 may be vertically adjusted carrying with it an electric motor or the like 94 mounted thereon. The pulley 96 of the motor is connected by a belt 98 with a corresponding pulley 100 on the end of the conveyor shaft 80. An enclosing housing 102 of any suitable character encloses the motor and the pulley and belt drive in order to render the mechanism weather-proof.

It will thus be apparent that actuation of the motor which may be either manually controlled or may be actuated automatically by a suitable time control mechanism will cause feed to be delivered from the hopper 76 into the reserve compartment which in turn supplies the feed chambers of the device.

Means are provided which will adjust the level of the feed in the chambers at both sides of the apparatus and the rate of flow from the reserve chamber into these feeding chambers. For this purpose there are provided a pair of downwardly and outwardly inclined feed plates 104, see FIGURES S and 6 in particular, which are provided with vertical slots 106 therein through which extend fasteners 108 in the form of wing bolts which are carried by extension plates 110. This construction enables the extension plates to be vertically adjusted with respect to the fixed feed plates, thereby regulating the amount of opening below the bottom edge of the extension plates and the inclined walls 18, this opening in turn controlling the rate of passage of the feed from the reserve chamber into the feed chambers extending along the length of the device between the side walls 36 and the tilted walls 18.

The covers St at their upper ends are provided with an inturned cylindrical bead 112 which is embraced within cylindrical or semi-cylindrical clips 114. Thus the covers are frictionally clamped by means providing hinges therefor. Individual covers may be raised as suggested in dotted lines in FIGURE 1 to enable the stock to obtain access to selected feed chambers.

The feeder bottom (pan 10) and the end walls 24 are both preferably of galvanized metal and coated on both sides with vitrous enamel fused with glass or glass lined.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A stock feeder comprising an elongated container including a bottom wall with upwardly and outwardly divergent side walls rising therefrom, a pair of supporting frames each of which provides a feed opening therebetween and closures therefor, each frame being attached to and resting upon a side wall and extending upwardly and inwardly therefrom, the adjacent upper edges of said frames terminating in spaced relation on opposite sides of a vertical longitudinal medial plane through said bottom wall, said bottom wall including a pair of upwardly inclined and convergent inner walls forming a V-shaped ridge whose apex extends above the plane of the top edges of said side walls, a pair of longitudinally extending vertical plates each secured to the upper edge of one of said frames and projecting both upwardly and downwardly from said upper edge with the lower edge of said plates terminating in vertically spaced relation to said bottom wall and within the space between said ridge and side walls, end walls fixedly secured to each of said side walls, inner walls and plates at one end thereof, the space disposed between said inner walls and vertical plates and above said bottom wall comprising a feed reserve chamber and the spaces between said vertical plates and outer walls and above said bottom wall comprising feed chambers, the spaces between said vertical plates and said bottom wall constituting communication between said reserve chamber and said feed chambers, a source of feed, supply means associated with said source and said reserve chamber for delivering feed from the former to the upper portion of the latter.

2. The combination of claim 1 including two pairs of relatively inclined angle members, each pair of angle members being fixedly secured to one of said end walls and to one end of each of said inner walls whereby to reinforce, support and rigidify the latter.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a pair of longitudinally extending eave members each having a vertical depending flange secured to the upper edge of One of said frames and an outwardly projecting horizontal flange overlying said last-mentioned edge, a roof overlying said vertical plates and having outwardly and downwardly sloping side portions with the lower ends of the latter being rigidly secured to, overlying and supported by said eave members.

4. The combination of claim 1 including a pair of longitudinally extending vertical feed plates each mounted upon the upper edge of one of said frames and depending therefrom towards said bottom wall, longitudinally extending extension plates each secured to one of said feed plates and depending therebeneath to define with said bottom wall a throat establishing restricted communication between said reserve chamber and one of said feed chambers, means connected to each of said extension plates and to the associated feed plate for eifecting vertical sliding adjustment of said extension plates for controllably varying the height of said throat.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said closures have inturned cylindrical beads at their upper ends, semicylindrical clips frictionally embracing said beads, and providing hinges for said closures, said clips being secured to said frames.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said supply means comprises an elongated feed casing mounted upon said end walls and disposed in the uppermost part of said reserve chamber, a conveyor movably mounted in said feed casing for moving feed from said source along said casing, operating means connected to said conveyor, said casing having a plurality of longitudinally spaced discharge openings in the wall thereof for discharging feed into said reserve chamber at longitudinally spaced positions therein.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said supply means comprises an elongated feed casing mounted upon said end walls and disposed in the uppermost part of said reserve chamber, a conveyor movably mounted in said feed casing for moving feed from said source along said casing, operating means connected to said conveyor, said casing having a plurality of longitudinally spaced discharge openings in the wall thereof for discharging feed into said reserve chamber at longitudinally spaced positions therein, a pair of angulated brackets having each a pair of vertical flanges with one vertical flange of each being secured to the top edge of one of said frames, the other vertical flanges of each extending in endwise alinement with each other, said other vertical flanges being notched and receiving and supporting therein said feed casing.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said supply means comprises an elongated feed casing mounted upon said end walls and disposedrin the uppermost part of said reserve chamber, a conveyor movably mounted in said feed casing for moving feed from said source along said casing, operating means connected to said conveyor, said casing having a plurality of longitudinally spaced discharge openings in the wall thereof for discharging feed into said reserve chamber at longitudinally spaced positions therein, said operating means comprising a source of power, said conveyor having an end extending through and to the exterior of one of said end walls, means drivingly connecting said source of power to said conveyor end, means for mounting said source of power upon the top of said container.

9. The combination of claim 8 including a support having a horizontal platform upon which said power source is mounted and which overhangs the top of said container, vertically extending brackets carrying said platform at one end of the latter, fastenings connecting said brackets to one of said end walls in vertically adjustable positions thereon.

10. The combination of claim 9 including a housing enclosing said power source, conveyor end, support and driving means, means connected to said housing and to said last-mentioned end wall for supporting said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,910,596 Einsel et al. May 23, 1933 2,522,449 Inman Sept. 12, 1950 2,646,023 Virgil July 21, 1953 2,661,720 Rysdon et al. Dec. 8, 1953 2,867,314 Hansen Ian. 6, 1959 

